David Kane and Jonathan Hickman
Abstract
This paper concerns the use of technology to support students through “near-distance learning”; that is, informal moments and modes of study which happen at a distance from campus. Our case study concerns a small cohort of students, several of whom took up their final job offers before the completion of their studies. This created a number of issues around group work, the development of lesson content and the provision of useful support, feedback and tutorials for students. These problems occurred during the course and thus required an immediate response; Web 2.0 technologies and the institutional Virtual Learning Environment seemed to afford solutions. Students were allowed the opportunity to develop their own processes to manage the issues, leading to innovative uses of social media services such as Twitter, Google Wave, Skype and email.
Kane, D. and Hickman, J. (2012) Supporting students’ learning with web 2.0; near-distance learning, social media and student choice in higher education. Educationalfutures, [online] Vol. 4(3). Available at: https://educationstudies.org.uk/?p=597 [Accessed 19 Apr, 2024].